Removable supporting devices for refrigerator shelves



June 24, p SEALEY REMOVABLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR REFRIGERATOR SHELVESFiled Aug. 25. 1927 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE '5 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PERCY'1'. SEALEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KELVINATOR COR-PORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN REMOVABLESUPPORTING DEVICES FOR REFRIGERATOR SHELVES Application filed August 25,1927. Serial No. 215,337.

My invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to shelfsupporting structures for refrigerators.

An object of my invention is to provide a readily attachable anddetachablerefrigerator shelf support which will project interiorly ofthe refrigerator lining and which can be attached and removed from theinterior thereof when the lining is assembled in the refrigerator frame.a

Another object of my invention is to provide a shelf support forenameled or porcelain coated refrigerator linings which can beassociated with the lining to reduce the possibility of crackin orotherwise injuring the coated surface of the lining when loads are putupon the shelves.

Other objects of the invention more or less incidental or ancillary tothe foregoing will appear in the following description, which sets forthin connection with the drawing accompanying and forming part of thisspecification, :1. preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a refrigerator showing theshelf pins in place su porting a series of shelves.

ig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the shelf su port assembly.

ig. 3 is a perspective view of the expansible collar.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spacing member.

Referring more specifically to the draw ing by characters of reference,8 indicates a conventional form of refrigerator having a lining 9 formedto provide a refrigerated compartment 10 and food storage compartment11.

A plurality of similar supporting structures areassociated with therefrigerator lining 9 for supporting shelves 13 in the food storagecompartment 11. Each structure includes a pin 15 which is preferablycylindrical in shape and provided with a recess 12 concentric with thelongitudinal axis thereof for a purpose which will appear as thespecification proceeds. The shelf supporting structure is attached tothe refrigerator lining 9 at the desired points which are provided withcircular apertures 14: through which an expansible member 18 and aspreader member 16 are passed. The spreader member is preferably in theform of a screw threaded bolt having a-conical head 17. The spreadermember 16 extends through a cylindrical expansible member or collar 18formed of resilient material and having an inturned flange 19 at one endthereof and an outturned flange 20 at the opposite end thereof. Theinturned flange 19 provides an aperture ofsuch size that the spreadermember 16 may be passed there-through and be held centrally positionedthereby while the outturned flange 20 is adapted to engage the exteriorface of the lining adjacent the apertures 14 and hold the supportingmember 15 in place. The collar 18 is provided with slots 24 which permitcompression and expansion of the outwardly turned flange of the collarfor insertion and removal through the opening 14 from the interiorsurface 'of the lining. A spacer 21 formed of resilient sheet metal,comprises a flanged central portion 22 provided with an annular inwardlyextending shoulder 23 of slightly greater diameter than the centralportion and a laterally outwardly extending flange 27 of greaterdiameter than the shoulder 23. The shoulder 23 and the central portion22 defined thereby provide a seat for the pin 15 and a peripheral flange27 spaces the seat and pin away from the coated surface oftthe lining.The peripheral flange 27 extending laterally and outwardly beyond theseat serves to distribute the strain placed upon the supporting member15 by the stocked shelves and thereby transmitted to the lining over anarea greater than the cross sectional area of the pin thereby decreasingthe possibility of injury to the coating upon the lining.

In applying the invention, the spreaded member 16 is inserted throughthe aperture 14 in the refrigerator lining 9 from the interior surfaceof the lining. The slotted end of the collar 18 is compressed andinserted through the aperture 14 over the spreader member 16. Uponreleasing the collar from the compressed position, it will expand andfill the major portion of the aperture. The

spacer 21 is assed over the spreader member 16 and the s otted collar 18into engagement with the refrigerator lining 9. The pm 15 is thenthreaded u on the s reader member 18, the threads of t e sprea er memberengaging and cooperating with the threads formed in the recess 12 in thepin 15. Rotation of the pin 15 within the seat 22 causes the spreadermember 16 to be moved u into the recess of the pin 15 and thus raws thespreader member 16 into engagement with the slotted collar 18 which isexpanded into the aperture in the lining of the refrigerator and issecurely held thereby.

It will be seen that I have provided a shelf supporting structure thatmay be readily attached to and removed from the lining of a refrigeratorfrom the interior surface thereof, especially when the lining isassembled within the refrigerator frame. I have further provided a novelform of attaching structure a plicable in such manner that the weightoft e food on the shelf su ported by the bin 15 is transmitted over aarge area of the lining, thereby preserving the lining from injury.

It will be seen that although I have illustrated only the preferredembodiment of my invention and described in detail but one ap plicationthereof, it will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art that variousmodifications and changes may be made therein without departing from thes irit thereof or from the scope of the appen ed claims.

What I claim is:

A shelf supporting structure comprisin an expansible member adapted tobe inserte within an opening, a, spreader for expanding one end of theexpansible member, a spacing ring surrounding the opposite end of theex- .pansible member, a supporting member adapted to engage the s acingmember and provided with a recess for the reception of the end of theexpansible member projecting through the spacing member, and means formoving the spreader axially with respect to the expansible member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

PERCY T. SEALEY.

